Document BaNQLwVLEXOjBmX6k9qGNzV8

SAFETY DIVISION , R o b e r t A. Ke h o e . M. D. CHAIRMAN O s c a r B, Le w is MANAGER ' R u s s e l l Sc h e l l ASSISTANT MANAGER Et h y l Ga s o l i n e Co r po r a t i o n Ch r y s l e r B u il d in g 405 Le x i n g t o n Av e n u e E W O R K F e b ru a ry 20, 1939 D r. S . A. Kehoe Dear Dr. Kehoe: . This w ill acknowledge copy of y o u r 'le t te r o f F ebruary 1 7 th to Mr. McEldowney o f G ulf O il C o rp o ra tio n re g a rd in g an a l leged case of le a d p o isoning to d e liv e ry salesm an. We have to d a y r e c e iv e d a d d i t i o n a l in f o r m a tio n from Mr. McEldowney and a r e a t t a c h i n g copy o f h is l e t t e r o f F e b ru a ry 17th to g e th e r w ith th e e n clo su re s m entioned th e re in , a l l o f which you w ill find self-ex p lan ato ry . Tery tru ly yours, gel E n clo su re GOLF OIL CORPORATION BULF BUILDING P ittsb u rg h , Pa. February 17, 1939 Mr. 0 . B. Lewis E th y l G asoline Corp. C hrysler Bldg. New York EE: A lle g e d ca s e o f le a d p o is o n in g to d e l i v e r y salesm an 1 D ear Mr. L ew is: Since re c e ip t o f your l e t t e r of February 15th d ealin g w ith the above c a s e , we r e c e iv e d a d d i t i o n a l in f o r m a tio n from o u r P h i l a d e l p h i a o f f i c e , e n c lo s in g an exchange o f co rresp o n d en ce betw een our a g e n t, Mr. H i l l s , a t York, P a . , an d Dr. Feldm an o f th e same c i t y . The a d d i t i o n a l in fo rm a tio n w hich we h av e r e c e i v e ^ f r o m o u r P h i l a d e l p h i a o f f i c e i s to th e e f f e c t t h a t on Decem ber 2S th , re p o rte d o ff d u ty because of a stomach ailm en t a s he was s u f f e r i n g from n a u s e a . T h is , a c c o r d in g to th e f i r s t p h y s ic i a n who was c a lle d , Dr. E. L. Feldmann, m ight b e due to lead p o iso n in g . . The background in th is p a r tic u la r in sta n c e is th a t w ife was fo rm e rly a n u rse a t Pennsylvania, H o sp ita l in P h ila d e ^ o M ^ a n d when, a f te r a sh o rt tim e, "the lo c a l physician did not re lie v e c o n d itio n , sh e a r r a n g e d to have him p la c e d f o r o b s e r v a tio n in th e P e n n s y lv a n ia Hos p i t a l . As soon a s we le a r n e d o f th e h o s p i t a l p h y s ic i a n 's d ia g n o s is , you were ad v ised . We, o f c o u r s e , have no id e a how t h i s i n d i v i d u a l c o u ld h av e a c quired any lead poisoning, i f such is an actu al case, sin ce h is d u ties are s i m i l a r to th o s e o f an y o t h e r d e l i v e r y sa le sm a n o r one who works i n t e r m i t te n tly in the w arehouse. I f th e re is any a d d itio n a l in fo rm a tio n th a t you would li k e in c o n n e c tio n w ith t h i s c a s e , p l e a s e l e t u s know and we w i l l a r r a n g e to s e c u r e i t fo r you.: , ' '1 Very tr u ly y o u rs, G ulf O il C orporation W, M. McEldowney By L. R. M ilne 001083 York p h ila sai/i. 1-12-39 ra rk Bulk P lan t i r e f e r to m y r e p o r t o f 1 - 9 , CEB, r e g a r d ing the above D eliv ery Salesm an. . l saw Tuesday and h is t r i p to P h ila d e lp h ia was a f a r c e . The exammurtion he rece iv ed was o n ly super f i c i a l and he was t o l d t o come b ack 'Wednesday, 1 -1 8 , and p r ^ ^ j ^ t o s ta y f o r a week o r so f o r a s e r ie s o f X-Rays, blood t e s t s , e t c . is d is g u s te d w ith th e way Dr. ireld man h as been h a n d lin g him a n c ^ ^ b e l i eve i s g o in g t o g e t a n o t h e r d o c t o r . Jf B ^ k s a i d h e i s p o s i t i v e h i s p r e s e n t tr o u b l e i s due t o th e a b d o m in a l s t r a i n h e s u f f e r e d l a s t p a l l . He s a id he has fre q u e n t p ain in th a t re g io n and he th in k s th e re i s som ething wrong th e r e . . 1 hope w ill g et another doctor who c a n d ia g n o s e h i s t r o u b l e o r a t u e a s t h av e so m eth in g done ab o u t i t . u f course was c a r e fu l to make no s p e c if ic recom m endation to him . S .S . HILLS (S g d .) V ,-si;..: COP Y York, pa. February 6, 1939* ' Dr. R .L. Feldman c/o west Side Sanitarium York, pa. Dear Dr. Feldman; I t r ie d to g e t you on the telep h o n e se v e r a l tim es rec en tly without su c c e ss. ' . w ill y o u p le a s ^ w r i te us g iv in g us your op in ion o f the cause o f f l H ^ H H g i n a b i l i t y to work, and p r o s p e c ts o f h is r e tu r n in ^ r o w o r k V He has now b een o f f duty s in c e December 2 8 th and 1 have been unable t o make any statem ent to our P hiladelphia o ffic e as to the cause. M3?. f l H H ^ t o l d me s e v e r a l days ago t h a t xhe u n iv e r s ity o f p en n s^ ^ an ia H o sp ita l confirm ed your d ia g n o sis o f le a d p o is o n in g , x w ish t o s t a t e th a t x cannot s e e how i t i s p o s s i b l e f o r any man to d evelop le a d p o is o n in g from w orking a t our p la n t e ith e r a s a warehouseman o r a D e liv e r y Salesm an. The amount o f T e tr a -R th y l le a d i n our JMo-Hox E th y l G asolin e and our Good G ulf G asolin e, i s so sm a ll and th e le a d i s not added h e r e , but a t th e R e fin e r y , and i t i s my o p in io n th a t i t would be humanly im possible fo r anyone to develop lead poisoning fran i t . Thanking you fo r your r e p ly , fo r which i e n c lo s e a stamped e n v e lo p e , x am - Yours v e r y tr u ly , ssh/ e GtJLF uIL COHJrUHATiuN, S .S . HILLS (Sgdj Agent 0010841 COP Y WIST SIDE SittilTARIPM 1253 W. Market S t . York, Pa. F eb. 6 , 1939 Mr. s . S . H i l l s , K&nager G u lf R e fin in g Company, Loucks M ill Hoad , York, Pa. Dear Mr. H i l l s : R elative to on la n u a iy 3 1 , 1939 The Department o f N eurology o f th e U n iversity of Pennsylvania H o sp ita l, re- ' p orting th a t a "blood lead determ ination showed v a lu es com p atib le w ith a d ia g n o is is of acu te lead p oison in g and w e ll above the values obtained in nom al in d ivid u als." They r e q u e st th a t the p a tie n t be seen in tv/o months a t th e c l i n i c . 1 f e e l th a t t h^. above ex ce rp t i s s u f f i c ie n tly su ffin ct to c la r ify any question p reviou sly ra ised r e la tiv e to the diag n o s i s . The ca se was n o t a sim p le one from the s ta r t and w ithout t h is confirm ation th e d ia g n o sis would s t i l l be d eb a tea b le. At t h is tim e shows con sid erab le improvement. P reviou s treatm ent i s being co n tin u ed , a s recommended by the H ospital, o f the u n iv e r s ity o f Penns ylira u ia . i f there are any further d e ta ils d esired , I s h a ll be glad to forward them . Very tru ly yours, - h l f / al k H.L. Feldmann, iVi.D. (S g d .)